Considering switching OB/GYN & Hospital - please help!
Peach&Fireworks
member
I posted this on the Atlanta Nest board thinking it was the baby board, so sorry for the duplicate post!
My current OB group is affiliated with DeKalb Medical Center. I had a miscarriage this February and DH and I are not happy with the way it was handled AT ALL. We're TTC again finally and DH brought up the fact that he wants to consider a new group/hospital. I've heard that Northside is THE place to have a baby. I live in Gwinnett County - actually REALLY close to Emory Eastside in Snellville. This is such a huge deal to me - I just don't know what to do! Do I pick Northside? Do I pick Emory Eastside?
I'd love to get some rec's for OB's and also hear your opinion on the hospitals around Atlanta. Is Northside really all it's hyped up to be? Anyone here have experience with Emory Eastside?
Re: Considering switching OB/GYN & Hospital - please help!
Thanks guys, keep em coming!
I wanted to add that the distance to Northside isn't an issue for us. Obviously Emory Eastside is much closer, but the quality of care far outweighs the commute! I actually know people up in Winder that delivered at Northside!!
I've heard good things about Emory Eastside. I'm in Gwinnett Co. and delivered at Northside ... what a horrible experience. I hated pretty much every second of it. I know I'm in the minority with my experience, but they lost paperwork, didn't explain things well if ever at all, and were very quick to believe there was something wrong with my son when there wasn't really.
If you have a preemie or if you have a high risk pregnancy, I would probably go with Northside due to their excellent NICU. But otherwise, I would recommend EE.
(also, for this baby, we switched providers to be sure we wouldn't end up at Northside again.)
Northside has the highest volume of deliveries in the area....so its not nec the best....just the biggest. That being said, I was high risk and had to have a csection, it was great as were the 5 days in the hospital. My doctor, Dr Michlle Houston was rec to me by my RE and Peri specifically as a good group for anyone who has experieneced a pregnancy loss.
Northside has the highest level NICU should you need it, but is not the only place in town. I know that Piedmont does also. That might be something you want to consider. Personally I preferred Piedmont over NOrthside - smaller more intimate, but both to me were great so I would rec either.
Hey Lady!!!
I am so happy to hear that you are ttc again! I can't wait for you and dh to be parents - it's been a long time coming.
My experience at Northside was probably a little different than most. I was there on bedrest for two weeks prior to delivery. I was in the high risk ward and was on strict bedrest - could only get up for the bathroom. They were fantastic to me there and took such great care of me. It was the best possible bedrest experience I could have ever imagined.
My delivery was very fast and since I was already in the hospital, they just wheeled me downstairs for me to have him. Then they did a quick room shuffle and put me in a recovery room. The whole birth experience and recovery experience really wasn't anything to write home about. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't the same super level of attention and care I'd received the previous two weeks.
DS was in the NICU there for two weeks and the NICU was amazing. They were so good to explain everything to us, to let us be involved in his care, to look the other way when we had a bunch of visitors, etc.
So overall, I spent a lot of time at Northside and the actual birth experience (what most people have) was a really small and uneventful part of it. The other care that we (ds and I) received while we were there was top notch.
Anyway, I know whatever you decide will end up being great. You've got my email so keep me posted!
I have only good things to say about Northside and my labor and delivery, but I had a VERY BAD Experience there regarding a miscarriage in the ER Room. I was told I miscarried by a very Unsympathetic ER Doctor--he gave me incorrect medical advice that could have adversely affected my baby. Luckily I did not follow it and I did not miscarry. My doctor who ended up delivering my baby at Northside was wonderful and he was appalled at the ER doctor.
My doctor is Dr. Bret Lewis--Northside/Northpoint OBGYN--amazing practice. I've been going to him for over 10 years and it's because of him that we have been able to have chilidren (he's a miracle worker
)
I currently see an OB/GYN there at Emory and LOVE them. It is a group, Women's Group of Gwinnett. They are all awesome. I totally recommend them all. Dr. Faulkner, Dr. Smith and Dr. Gould are all my favorite. I delivered at Emory as well and everything went very smooth and I was so happy with the hospital and the staff. You can't go wrong with the Women's Group of Gwinnett. The nurses there are all really nice also. HTH.
I'm sorry you had a bad experience with the old doctors. I delivered at Emory Eastside and had a great experience. I too have BCBS and could have gone to Northside or Emory Eastside. But living in Gwinnett, I didn't want to chance the fact that if something happened I would be in traffice. Plus it's easy for my parents to navigate to the hospital and not get lost if they went to Northside.
The practice I went to see is Gwinnett OBGYN of Associates. Office is located next to the hospital. I really loved the NPs there if you have to get in quickly and can't see the doctors.
My sister had both her kids at EE and had a good experience with the hopsital itself. Her first baby was with Gwinnett OBGYN and my sister does not recommend them to anyone. She and several of her friends had horrible experiences with them. Her second baby was delievered with Dr. Pohl who doesn't deliever at EE anymore but at Gwinett Medical. He was awesome and a very good doctor. He actually saved my sister and my niece's life during L&D.
I'm glad to hear you are ttc again. Good luck. You should come over to ttcal sometime. It's a great board that has gotten me through so much this year after my m/c.
Wendy